Since the money was discovered stolen, the school board has made steps to address the problems, but parents said these are issues that shouldn't happen at all.

"I just don't understand how someone could steal money from kids, especially from the school that really needs it," said Christiana Compton, who has two children who attended Jefferson Elementary School.

According to the legislative audit reported by Metairie certified public accounting firm Carr, Riggs and Ingram, LLC, $1,697 was discovered missing in the Jefferson Elementary Summer Camp program account between May 2012 and July 2012. An account clerk responsible for collecting the money was fired after being unable to explain the shortage in tuition fees.

"Parents are not really going to trust them sending their kids to the program now because of money being missing," Compton said.

The report also said in February 2012, $6,995 was taken by an employee who wrote checks and transferred money from a school bank account to the employee's personal account. That employee was fired, prosecuted and found guilty.

"I think that's horrible," Compton said, "you think you can trust someone that works at the school to take care of what they're supposed to take care of, and then when you find out they're stealing money. That's just wrong."

Dell Bergeron worked in the school system for 14 years and said she lives by the commandment, "thou shall not steal."

"As far as stealing, whether it be from the school, from an individual or anybody, stealing is wrong. I would rather you come to me and say, 'can you help me I need money?' But don't steal," Compton said.

Bergeron questions how school officials allowed such misuse of public money.

"To me that's like having your own personal checking account," she said. "You balance it every month, and you're dealing with a heck of a lot more money in the school system or a school than in your checking account. If you are not capable of balancing it every month, then you shouldn't be holding that position."

The school system made policy changes based on recommendations from auditors. Now all tuition payments for child care and summer camps must be paid in check or money order and no longer in cash. All central school system accounts are now controlled by the finance department.

The report also noted the system improperly posted more than $30 million to the wrong account or the wrong accounting period. System officials said it was due to turnover in the accounting department.

The audit also found the district didn't have a formal backup system to protect its information technology systems against data loss in possible power outages or computer failures.